1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of communications networks and, more specifically, to a microwave communication network which overlays a public switched telephone network and provides a wireless interoffice facility.
2. Background Information
The deregulation of the telecommunication service industry in the United States, along with an explosive increase in the use of the Internet, has led to the emergence of numerous new carriers and service providers who compete for customers desiring local phone service, long distance service, supplementary services (e.g., call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and the like) and Internet access. While the advent of such competition was both anticipated and desired by regulators, the resultant demands for access to and services from historical competitors have proved difficult to manage and, in some cases, overwhelming.
For example, the emergence of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service, popular for Internet access, has resulted in substantial demand on incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) to provide increased bandwidth between central offices and tandem switches to accommodate new DSL service providers. Similar demands for access or services may also be made by competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) who are competing with ILECs.
Faced with ever increasing demands from other carriers and Internet service providers, at least some of whom are also competitors, ILECs are reluctant to make substantial new capital investments with uncertain prospects for return. In addition, in crowded, older metropolitan areas, creation of additional bandwidth in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) usually implies installation of new or additional fiber optic cable. However, installation of such additional cable is often cost prohibitive as it requires extensive capital investment not fitting the business model of the ILEC, particularly in situations where the additional capacity is being sought by a CLEC who, by definition, is competing with the ILEC.
What is needed is a cost effective, flexible, relatively easy to install system which provides needed bandwidth in commercially significant quantities and in a way that allows various types of carriers to obtain and use such bandwidth for whatever services they may choose.